Hurricane Wilma Live Thread (As of 2:30 am EDT, Wilma is a Category 5 with 175-mph winds )

NHC - NOAA ^ | 18 October 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Wilma has formed in the NW Caribbean Sea. The NHC forecast indicates she will emerge into the Gulf of Mexico as a major Category Three storm. Current forecase models indicate a Florida peninsula landfall.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 0500, 0800, 1100 etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 0500, 1100, 1700, 2300 ET
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track

Wilma Forecast Track Archive
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only
Extra Large Miami Radar Broadband only
Extra Large Key West Radar Broadband only
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[Trust but Verify]

Stingray City is in the North Sound...she'll love it.

Been there, done that. It's one of the most memorable experiences our family has ever had. The last time we were there on a cruise, the seas were too rough to go out to the sandbar. It was the low point of our trip.

[Howlin]

I'm desperately trying to ignore this.........LOL.

[peacebaby]

Headed to Destin Wednesday night. Will sleep on the beach... .

Anyone know how to batten down the hatches of a tent?

[dawn53]

When we lived there, the sandbar was the place to "hang out" on a weekend. We'd always take friends there when they visited (and we had friends visit all the time, LOL.)

When my son was small (around 6) the stingrays seemed bigger than he was. Once when my husband was feeding them squid, there was a bit of a feeding frenzy and my son was snorkeling in the area and could feel a stingray swimming over him sucking on his back. We always joke about him getting a "hickey" from a stingray.

[Steven W.]

I just had to post ...

Is this for real? Were you scared of Y2K too?

ROFLMAO

[Coldwater Creek]

There is no way that I could live with my windows boarded up six months out of the year.

[zeaal]

Rove is just such a mastermind. How brilliant is that ... ? Cause Hurricane Wilma to take a big right turn to Florida so Jeb Bush can provide yet another example of how LOCAL/STATE are responsible for its citizenry.

[exhaustedmomma]

Wilma Is 12th Atlantic Hurricane, Tying 1969 Record (Update1)
SNIP from article:

...cold front in the southeastern U.S. is picking up Wilma and moving it northeast, Brown said. Such a pattern is a ``fairly typical October path'' for hurricanes.

[Rebelbase]

Check out the Sat/Sun. positions compared to the earlier days in the week. It's going to pick up a lot of forward speed.

[abner]

Last year, abner suggested selling them on eBay as hurricane art.

Hey, this would be the year for it... A little bit of cute in an otherwise bleak situation.

[sheikdetailfeather]

WFTV in Orlando is talking about the GFDL model bringing the storm right up the I-4 corridor and saying the National Hurricane Center uses this model. YIKES!

[Howlin]

We could have done without that.

[numberonepal]

Cue the Jaws music.

[ken5050]

Just a thought..after this Hurricane season..the "Surf's Up!" grpahic definitely needs to be retired...we gotta get a new icon for next year..

[MarMema]

selling them on eBay as hurricane art.

ROFL! Thanks for sharing that.

[Joe Brower]

[Letitring]

You'd best hurry.

Everyone, remember all the motels are still very full from Katrina and Rita. We still have some shortages in the entire area.

I'm not sure about the situation in Ga., if motels are available, or not. But, Ms., Al., and La., are still a mess.

Buy your supplies early and get enough to do for weeks after the storm, as well. Just some lessons learned.

[Trust but Verify]

I'm so jealous that you lived there. Of all the places we've been in the Caribbean, it is by far our favorite. Thanks for sharing the story about your son. Those stingrays are awesome. Standing in the beautiful, warm water and having those beautiful creatures all around you is just a wonderful thing.

[blam]

"I'm not sure about the situation in Ga., if motels are available, or not. But, Ms., Al., and La., are still a mess."

I'll second that...still a mess.

"Buy your supplies early and get enough to do for weeks after the storm, as well. Just some lessons learned.

Gasoline for sure...that was one of the holes I found in my hurricane plans, I didn't have enough to run the generator for the whole seven days without electricity.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Ch. 13 in Orlando is saying it will come into southern Fla. as a CAT 1 after weakening from CAT 3 because it mixes with the cold front to the north. (all the models show this path except GFDL) Ch. 9 is saying it may come in as a CAT 3 and head down the I-4 corridor. (GFDL MODEL) Take your pick.